16 upscale places in Carmel-by-the-Sea, editor-picked. Occasion restaurants in Carmel-by-the-Sea: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Carmel-by-the-Sea food.
16 places
Order A wood-fired pizza from the corner oven, then whatever the blackboard suggests.
La Bicyclette runs a wood-fired village bistro at Dolores and 7th in Carmel, pizzas coming off the oven beside the Georis family's country cooking.
Order Smoky mushroom pozole, then plantain tacos with cashew crema.
Cultura Comida y Bebida cooks Oaxacan food in Carmel's Su Vecino Courtyard, backed by a mezcal library and a kitchen that sources from Oaxaca itself.
Order Sushi from the day's fish list, called out at the counter.
Akaoni serves traditional Japanese cooking and sushi at Mission and 6th in Carmel, a small room listed in the Michelin Guide and booked by phone.
3 hours
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1.5 hours
Learn to make macarons from scratch in a small, hands-on class in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Discover the secrets to creating the perfect macaron and take home a dozen macaron...
Viator · 3.2 h
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Casanova serves French-Italian cooking in a candlelit Carmel cottage whose dining room keeps the table Van Gogh ate at daily at the Auberge Ravoux.
Order The night's baked tegamino, the namesake pan dish.
Il Tegamino hides in Carmel's Court of the Golden Bough off Ocean Avenue, a small family-run room cooking Italian comfort food behind a candy shop.
Drink Natural wine by the glass with brunch
The Stationaery cooks seasonal California brunch daily in a Carmel courtyard off San Carlos Street, adding natural wine dinners Thursday to Sunday.
Caraccioli Cellars pours its Santa Lucia Highlands sparkling wines at a marble bar on Dolores Street in Carmel, open seven days for tastings.
Order A clay pot dinner, the house's signature format.
Flying Fish Grill cooks East-West seafood on Carmel Plaza's lower level, running from salmon and lobster to abalone and clay pot dinners nightly.
Order Wild-caught sand dabs with lemon tarragon beurre blanc.
Flaherty's Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar anchors 6th Avenue in Carmel with freshly shucked oysters, its famous clam chowder and wild-caught sand dabs.
Order Wood-burning-oven pizza or the truffled gnocchi.
Vesuvio runs the Pepe family's wood-fired Neapolitan kitchen at 6th and Junipero in Carmel, with the rooftop Star Bar pouring above the dining room.
Albatross Ridge pours the Bowlus family's estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Dolores Street in Carmel, staying open until 20:00 at the weekend.
Order Whatever pasta the kitchen calls a family recipe that night.
Little Napoli plates Chef Pepe's southern Italian family recipes at Dolores and 7th in Carmel, with Bar Napoli pouring beside the dining room.
Order Ask the host for the night's mezze and grill pairing.
Yafa runs a family-owned Mediterranean dinner house at Junipero and 5th in Carmel, open nightly from 17:00 with hosts who still work every table.
Order An afternoon cocktail in the lounge, dog at your feet.
Terry's Restaurant + Lounge holds down Doris Day's Cypress Inn in Carmel, mixing cocktails in a lounge that welcomes dogs indoors all afternoon.
Order The Sunday buffet, eaten on the deck above the sheep meadow.
The Restaurant at Mission Ranch serves a walk-in Sunday buffet brunch at Clint Eastwood's ranch below the Carmel Mission, meadow and bay beyond.
Order Grilled Castroville artichokes, then the Plains Drifter prime rib French dip.
Hog's Breath Inn, the Carmel courtyard restaurant Clint Eastwood founded in 1970, reopened in August 2025 restored with steaks and clam chowder.
Nothing matches.
